Pipe fitting for awning arms and the like



June 28, 1955 E. P. D'AZZO PIPE FITTING FOR AWNING ARMS AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 19, 1951 INVENTOR. ERRoL R DAzzo iafmswy PIPE FITTING FOR AWNING ARMS AND THE LIKE Errol P. DAzzo, New York, N. Y.

Application January 19, 1951, Serial No. 206,798

2 Claims. (Cl. 287-54) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in a fitting for awning arms and the like, with said fitting of the type wherein the same includes means for attaching its back portion to an awning arm and also means in the form of an adjustable clamp at its front end for tightly gripping the awning bar attached to the front end of the awning sheet.

More specifically, an aim is to provide a fitting of the kind just described, and further of the kind incorporating a base member having a front substantially semi-cylindrical portion and a clamp member having a complementary substantially semi-cylindrical portion adapted to be arranged above the first-mentioned semi-cylindrical portion in a manner to encircle and grip said awning bar, wherein there is provided an improved means including a screw threaded member for drawing said semi-cylindrical portions tightly together.

A further object is to provide a fitting having the fea tures aforesaid, and wherein projections and recesses are provided one or more on said base member and one or more on said clamp member, with said projections and u recesses arranged to be interfitted thereby not only to facilitate securement of the fitting relative to the awning bar but also to bring the said base and clamp members to a special interlock consequent upon tightening of said screw threaded member.

Still a further object is to provide a fitting as above, wherein both of said base and clamp members have special shapings, in the form of recesses other than the recess above mentioned, which, while valuable for incidentally lightening the weight of the fitting, increase the ease of quick and perfect securement of the fitting relative to the awning bar.

A further object of the present invention proposes providing the clamp member with an extension extended rearward over the top of the base member in such a manner that When the clamp member is secured in position for gripping the end of the awning bar the extension becomes effective for securing the front end of the awning arm in position within the rear end of the base member.

It is a further object of the present invention to construct awning fittings which are simple and durable, which are effective for their intended purposes and which can be manufactured and sold at a reasonable cost.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. l is a fragmentary side elevation of an awning having a fitting constructed in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a portion of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the base member.

Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of the clamp member.

The awning fitting, according to the present invention includes a base member 10 for engagement upon a side arm 11 of an awning structure. The fitting is designed for connecting an end of the awning bar 12 to the outer end of the side arm 11. The bar 1'2 has the free outer end of the awning sheet 13 attached thereto.

The awning structure at each side may consist of the side arm ll, this at its forward end shaped to include a portion 11 of cylindrical form, and various other arms and links such as those shown at 14, i5 and 16 and interpivoted as indicated.

The base member 10 is characterized by a hollow substantially semi-cylindrical front portion 17 which toward its rear has a fiat top surface at the crest of a U-shaped upstanding rib 13. The base member 10 is formed of metal and in rear of the rib 18 merges into a relatively large back portion 19 having a shoulder 20 immediately in back of the rib 13.

Said back portion 19 is substantially cylindrical and in the form of a cylindrical shell for receiving therein the cylindrical portion 11 of the side arm 11 of the awning structure.

The clamp member 23 has a flat-bottom rear portion 24 to be disposed above the top of the base member 10 at the end forward of the main central portion of the rib 18 which extends transversely of said base member. The clamp member 23 is formed of the same material as the base member it). The front of the clamp member 23 continues into a front hollow substantially semi-cylindrical portion 26 complementary to the semi-cylindrical portion 17 of the base member 10 for forming a socket to receive the end of the awning bar 12.

A coupling means for the base member 10 and the clamp member 23 is in the form of a bolt 27, having at its lower end a square head 28, in combination with a nut 29 having a thread matching that of the shank of said bolt. Said bolt shank passes upwardly and somewhat loosely through an aperture 36 in the base member It), thence through an upwardly flaring frusto-conical chamber 31 in said base member, thence through a recess 32 in the lower side of the clamp member 23, said recess being in the form of a semi-spherical dome, and thence somewhat loosely through an aperture 33 in said clamp member.

A recess 36 with a flat inner or roof wall is formed in the bottom of the base member iii. As will be noted from Fig. 3, said roof wall is of substantially the same outline as the head 23 of the bolt 27, thereby acting to lock the bolt against turning during tightening up of the nut 29.

The upper side of the portion 17 of the base member 10 is further recessed, between the legs of the U-shaped rib l8, and the side wall of the chamber 31, as indicated at 37, 37 in Fig. 4.

Thus, not only is the fitting made much lighter than would otherwise be the case, yet maintained of adequate strength, by the various recessive formations as described above at 31, 32, 36 and 37, 37, but because of the formations 31, 32 and 36 the assembly of the base and clamp members of the fitting relative to the awning bar 12 is facilitated and expedited. The clamp member 23 may be placed considerably ofi final position on the base member 10, yet the upper end of the shank of the bolt 27 will be guided by the dome-like recess 32 for quick entry into the aperture 33. At the same time, before the head 28 of the bolt has entered the recess 36, the bolt shank is free to sway in any direction radially of the center line of the recess 31.

When, however, following full entry of the bolt head into the recess 36, and projection of the upper end portion of the bolt shank above the top of the clamp mem- Patented June 28, 1955 her, as accompaniments of a dropping of the concave lower side of the portion 26 of the clamp member 23 on the awning bar 12, it is the work of an instant to twirl the nut 29 into place on and in threaded engagement with the bolt shank. On next tightening the nut all the way, the awning bar 12 is gripped powerfully between the semicylindrical front portions of the base and clamp members.

Means is also provided on the clamp member 23 whereby when that clamp member is secured in position by the tightening of the nut 29, the clamp member also functions to secure the forward end of the awning arm 11 in position within the back portion 19 of the base member 10 The awning arm securing means is characterized by an extension 50 integrally formed on the rear of the clamp member 23 to extend over the top of the back portion 19 of the base member 10, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. At its rear end, the extension 50 is formed with a depending lug 51 which has its bottom face formed with a plurality of transversely extended serrations 52, see Figs. 2 and 5, for digging into and gripping the top face of the front end of the awning arm where inserted into the rear end of the back portion. The top of the back portion 19 of the base member 10 is formed with a hole 53 through which the lug 51 depends into the interior of the back portion 19 to contact the top of the inserted awning arm.

When the nut 29 is tightened, the integral clamp member 23 and extension 50 pivot about the bottom end of the lug 51 where it rests on the top of the inserted awning arm causing the semi-cylindrical portion 26 to move toward the semi-cylindrical portion 17 securely clamping the end of the awning bar 12 in position between those semi-cylindrical portions. serrations 52 on the bottom face of the lug 51 are caused to dig into the top of the inserted awning arm securing that awning arm in position.

While 1 have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise constructions herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes and modifications coming within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patentis:

1. A fitting for securing the end of an awning bar to the front end of an awning arm, comprising a base portion having a front hollow semi-cylindrical portion continuing into a rearwardly extended tubular back portion for receiving the front end of the awning arm, a clamp At the same time, the

I position within said tubular back portion, said securing means comprising an extension extended rearward from said clamp member and over the top of said tubular back portion, said tubular back portion being formed with a hole beneath the free end of said extension, and

I a lug depending from the free end of said extension and projected through saidhole to be clamped against the top of the awning arm when said clamp member is secured in position by said coupling means.

2. A fitting for securing the end of an awning bar to the front end of an awning arm, comprising a base portion having a front hollow semi-cylindrical portion cont nuing into a rearwardly extended tubular back portion for receiving the front end of the awning arm, a clamp member having a front hollow semi-cylindrical portion complementary to said first-mentioned semi-cylindrical portion forming a socket for the end of the awning bar, coupling means for drawing said clamp member toward said base member for securing the end of said awning bar in position between said semi-cylindrical portions, and means for securing the front end of the awning arm in position within said tubular back portion, said securing means comprising an extension extended rearward from said clamp member and over the top of said tubular back portion, said tubular back portion being formed with a hole beneath the free end of said extension, and a lug depending from the free end of said extension and projected through said hole to be clamped against the top of the awning arm when said clamp member is secured in position by said coupling means, and serrations formed on the bottom face of said lug for digging into the top of the awning arm.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

